Food preparation appliances come in many different types and are used in numerous different ways to prepare food. For example, one common food preparation appliance is steamer, or steam cooker, in which food is cooked using high temperature steam. Commonly known steamers include a base, a water reservoir, a heater for heating the water to produce steam, and a closeable container in which the food is held during use. Steam is introduced into the container to heat the food. Once drawback of some steam cookers is that upon initially introducing steam into the container (with food therein), the cooler (e.g., room temperature) air in the container causes the steam to condense on the interior walls of the container, often resulting in excess moisture to build up in the container and on the ingredients. Accordingly, such devices typically require that the user drain excess liquid from the ingredients or move them to a separate container for processing, after being steamed. If the excess liquid is not drained, the processed ingredients can become soggy or otherwise have an undesirable consistency. To this end, some other steam cookers have containers in which the bottom is perforated (e.g., a steaming basket). As such, these steaming baskets do not allow a user to cook a meltable substance (e.g., chocolate or cheese) therein, because the substance will leak through the perforations in the basket as the substance melts.
Another common type of food appliance includes a food processing device, which is typically used to process food ingredients from one form to another. For example, such devices are known for use in mixing/blending, processing, mashing chopping, slicing, dicing, mincing, grating or cutting food ingredients. Many food processors are electrically powered device that include a base housing an electric drive motor, and a container seatable on the base and having one or more processing implements (e.g., a blade) disposed in the container and operatively connectable to the drive motor. In use of the food processor, the container is placed and secured on the base and food is loaded into the container. The food processor is activated by a user to operate the motor, which operatively drives the processing implement to work the food in the desired manner. In some instances, the lid of the jar is configured with a chute open to the interior of the container to allow the user to add ingredients during operation of the food processor.
While food processors may be used to process raw or uncooked foods, as well as cooked foods, food processors themselves are not used to cook the foods. As such, the user must remove uncooked food after processing and then subsequently cook the processed food (if cooking is desired), or food must be cooked outside of the container and then loaded into the container for processing.
There is a need, therefore, for a steam cooker that remedies the above drawbacks associated with conventional steam cookers, as well as for a food processor that allows for steam cooking in the container of the food processor without having to remove food from the container and without having to remove the container from the base of the appliance to drain liquid from the food.